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Sign-Up Bonus

Currently, you’ll earn 50,000 Ultimate Rewards after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards. The card also has a $95 annual fee that’s waived the first year. But while the travel portal redemption option is convenient and easy to use, you can get more than 1.25 cents per point in value by transferring to airline and hotel travel partners; in this case I have a fantastic itinerary in mind bookable by transferring points to United.

The following itinerary is bookable on Star Alliance-operated flights, in business class, allowing you to see Seoul, Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Jeju Island each for as long as you like while including 24-hour stops in Beijing and Bangkok which allows you just enough time to grab dinner and see the Great Wall in Beijing and grab some pad thai in Bangkok.

You’ll fly business class on Asiana, Air China, Singapore and Thai Airways throughout the itinerary, enjoying some of the best service and onboard products aboard both wide-body and narrow-body planes. The cost of this lovely itinerary:

There are two open jaws, so you’ll have to get yourself from Taipei to Singapore (book a cheap nonstop flight on low-cost carrier Scoot) and from Hong Kong to Shanghai (there are multiple cheap flights/train options). This ticket will then give you 5,000 points left from your sign-up bonus for a Category 1 Hyatt or to use as $62.50 toward an activity booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal. A cash ticket on this itinerary in business would be well over $3,000 based on my searches, giving you almost 7 cents per point in redemption value. What a fantastic deal.

Travel Insurance

If you pay the taxes and fees for the award ticket with your Chase Sapphire Preferred, you’ll have multiple built-in travel insurance benefits. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll be covered with:

Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance — You’ll be reimbursed up to $10,000 in prepaid, nonrefundable expenses if you can’t make your trip or if your trip is interrupted. There are multiple situations that are covered, including if you’re injured; if severe weather prevents “a reasonable and prudent person from beginning or continuing” on a trip; if terrorist action or a hijacking messes up plans; and even if you get jury duty. Make sure to read all the fine print of your benefits guide.

Trip Delay — Let’s say your flight from Singapore to Bangkok is delayed and you have to stay overnight in the Crowne Plaza at Changi Airport. The Chase Sapphire Preferred’s trip delay insurance will give you up to $500 in reimbursement for any expenses from accommodation, meals, toiletries and personal items. As long as you’re delayed by 12 hours or more, you’re covered.

Lost Luggage — If, during the course of all your hopping around Asia, a bag gets lost to never be found again, you’re covered for up to $3,000 toward the cash replacement value of what was in your suitcase and $500 toward watches, cameras, video recorders and other electronic equipment.

Baggage Delay — If your suitcase is delayed by more than 6 hours, Chase Sapphire Preferred will reimburse you up to $100 per day for a maximum of five days for “purchases of essential items needed as a result of the delay including by not limited to clothing, toiletries, and charging cables for cellular telephones (max 1).”

Trip Accident Insurance — There’s a lot of fine print here, but basically if you have a catastrophic accident resulting in either your death or loss of one or multiple senses or limbs, you or your beneficiary is eligible for up to $500,000 in compensation.

No Foreign Exchange Fees

It’s pretty obvious how this would come in handy on your “Asian excursionist” trip. Adding an additional 2-3% on every charge made in a foreign currency would be silly. Remember to avoid the dynamic currency conversion ripoff and always pay your bills in the local currency if given a choice.

Earn Double Points on Dining and Travel

You’ve got your flights around Asia taken care of, but will still have quite a few dining and travel expenses — and you’ll want to maximize your earnings. I’ve had trains, tolls, ride shares, hotels, rental cars, trams, parking, food trucks and of course all restaurants earn me the additional bonus points while traveling.

Primary Collision Damage Waiver

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to get out and drive in any of these countries, the Chase Sapphire Preferred‘s primary CDW will cover any damage to the rental car, loss of use charges from the rental agency and towing costs from the accident site to the nearest repair facility. Coverage doesn’t apply to mopeds, motorcycles, luxury cars, antique cars or off-road vehicles — so no scooter riding around Bangkok hoping to have coverage. I’ve driven around Korea a few times; primary coverage is a great thing to have.

Driving in Seoul? You want primary collision damage waiver insurance.

Bottom Line

Thanks to all these benefits for just $95 a year, I’ll continue carrying the Chase Sapphire Preferred for the foreseeable future. It gives me almost everything I need on foreign trips for a relatively low annual fee. I strongly encourage everyone to become familiar with all the possibilities of maximizing Chase Ultimate Rewards if you want to get the most out of this card. Finally, read the entire card benefits guide, which clearly details what is and isn’t covered with all of the ancillary benefits so you aren’t caught off guard at any point.

Featured image by hallojulie via Getty Images.

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With great travel benefits, 2x points on travel & dining and a 50,000 point sign up bonus, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great card for those looking to get into the points and miles game. Here are the top 5 reasons it should be in your wallet, or read our definitive review for more details.

2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

No foreign transaction fees

1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs

Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel

No blackout dates or travel restrictions - as long as there's a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards

Intro APR on Purchases

N/A

Regular APR

17.99% - 24.99% Variable

Annual Fee

$0 Intro for the First Year, then $95

Balance Transfer Fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.

Recommended Credit

Excellent Credit

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.

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The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Please view our advertising policy page for more information.

Editorial Note: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.